Welcome to
St. David's Singers

The St. David's Singers was founded in the early 1970s by Sylvia Pritchard, the then organist of St David's Church, Exeter, who directed the choir until Autumn 1994 when the baton was passed to Mark Perry. Stephen Tanner became Musical Director of the choir in January 2025.

The choir consists of about 30 singers who enjoy singing challenging music from a wide range of composers, periods and styles. The choir performs both sacred and secular music, normally a cappella, in and around Devon, usually for charities.

In addition to our programme of concerts, from time to time we sing the weekend services in cathedrals and other major sacred buildings around the country. In recent years the choir has sung at Exeter Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Bath Abbey, Coventry Cathedral, Bristol Cathedral, Hereford Cathedral and St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Our Musical Journey

Our Musical Director

Stephen Tanner is a freelance music educator, choral director, organist, composer and arranger, based in Exeter. He took over as the St. David’s Singers Musical Director in January 2025.

Stephen began his musical career as a chorister at Coventry Cathedral and studied for a degree in Music at the University of Huddersfield. For many years he was Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral School, and Assistant Organist and Director of the Girl Choristers at Exeter Cathedral. His school music department enjoyed a wide reputation for music-making, with many pupils going on to national and international success.

He founded the Girl Choristers’ section of Exeter Cathedral Choir in 1994 and directed it for 22 years, undertaking numerous broadcasts, recordings and foreign tours. He was founding musical director of Exeter Cathedral’s Chorister Outreach Programme, promoting singing in Devon’s primary schools and has been an examiner for ABRSM, serving on both the main and jazz panels.

Stephen is Associate Musical Director and accompanist of the Exeter Philharmonic Choir and directs the Pilgrims’ Chorus, a group formed from within EPC, which makes annual expeditions giving choral concerts whilst walking ancient Pilgrimage Routes. He is Organist and Director of Music at St Peter’s Church Budleigh Salterton.

Stephen has composed and arranged extensively and won two national composition competitions.